What is a digital drawing archive, and how does it work?

Digitalization in real estate comes down to one thing: making information structured and available to everyone who needs it. When it comes to drawings, there are two different approaches — a digital file archive, and a digital drawing archive. Both save time and resources in day-to-day operations, but they work very differently.

The Google Maps analogy

Think of a digital file archive as a scanned map. A digital drawing archive is more like Google Maps.

You can access both digitally, but a map service lets you interact with it — search for locations, pull up information, and make changes on the fly. That's the real difference between storing drawings and actually using them.

Digital file archive: a folder structure for drawing files

A digital file archive — tools like iBinder, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive — gives your organization a cloud-based folder structure for saving files (images, text, spreadsheets, documents) linked to different properties. The benefit: no more hunting for paper drawings in a binder somewhere at the office. You can find drawing files on your computer, wherever you are.

You can store both 2D and 3D drawings this way. To view them, you'll need software that supports the file format (PDF, DWG or BIM). If something's wrong in a drawing, you leave a comment and get in touch with an architect or specialist who can redraw it according to your changes — and then the updated version has to replace the outdated one.

Some cloud services let you overwrite the existing file by saving the new one. But a problem many property organizations run into is that staff download and save drawings to their own computer (or print them) and send them on to others. With several drawing versions circulating, the connection to the original file gets lost, and confusion arises over which version is actually correct. To avoid that, everyone who's had access to a drawing also needs to get the updated one.

Digital drawing archive: an interactive property map

A digital drawing archive gives your organization mobile access to a shared digital platform with accurate drawings and models (3D maps) that can carry several layers of information at once. It's built by creating BIM models of the properties in your portfolio.

The geometry forms the framework of the spatial database, where your staff can add information layers and structure data based on geographic location — through manual input, imports, and integrations with other systems that let data flow both in and out. That can be anything from information about spaces and equipment to incoming fault reports, planned maintenance dates, temperatures, and other details that matter for day-to-day operations. Links to your digital file archive can live here too.

• Lower barrier to entry. Every member of staff can interact with the data in the spatial database — searching for locations and information, filtering results, documenting their work, and correcting data as needed.

• Automatic visibility. When data is added, changed, or the model is updated, it becomes automatically visible to every user, along with what changed and when — so the organization can always rely on everyone having the latest information.

• Remote access, real interaction. Visit a building virtually and communicate with colleagues in the same system, the way you'd use Google Maps to plan a route — but for indoor environments, equipment, work orders and sensors.

With reliable data over time, you can make well-founded, data-driven decisions — minimizing energy use, running financial follow-ups and calculations, planning operations and maintenance, and developing the business.